Decorative curtain rod assembly

ABSTRACT

A modular curtain rod assembly is provided which allows a person to use any desired thin covering material to cover a curtain rod and customize the appearance of the curtain rod. The covering material is held in place by a support clip which secures the covering material to the curtain rod and which also supports the curtain rings above the covering material to prevent wear of the covering material and to provide curtains which are easy to open or close regardless of covering material.

PRIORITY

The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62895069, filed Sep. 3, 2019, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

THE FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to curtain rods. In particular, examples of the present invention relates to a system for providing decorative curtain rods which may be easily customizable to change the appearance of the curtain rod.

BACKGROUND

Curtains are commonly used to decorate as well as to control the amount of light entering into a building through windows. Applicant desires to provide curtain rods and assemblies that are easily customizable to match a desired decor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Non-limiting and non-exhaustive examples of the present invention are described with reference to the following figures, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the various views unless otherwise specified.

FIG. 1 is a drawing which shows a curtain system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a drawing which shows a detailed view of the curtain rod and rings.

FIG. 3 is a drawing which shows an exploded view of the curtain rod.

FIG. 4 is a drawing which shows a detailed view of the curtain rod and rings.

FIG. 5 is a drawing which shows a detailed view of the curtain rod and rings.

FIG. 6A is a drawing which shows an example curtain rod support clip.

FIG. 6B is a drawing which shows an example curtain rod support clip.

FIG. 6C is a drawing which shows an example curtain rod support clip.

FIG. 6D is a drawing which shows an example curtain rod support clip.

FIG. 6E is a drawing which shows an example curtain rod support clip.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding components throughout the several views of the drawings. Unless otherwise noted, the drawings have been drawn to scale. Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help improve understanding of various examples of the present invention. Also, common but well-understood elements that are useful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment are often not depicted in order to facilitate a less obstructed view of these various embodiments of the present invention.

It will be appreciated that the drawings are illustrative and not limiting of the scope of the invention which is defined by the appended claims. The examples shown each accomplish various different advantages. It is appreciated that it is not possible to clearly show each element or advantage in a single figure, and as such, multiple figures are presented to separately illustrate the various details of the examples in greater clarity. Similarly, not every example need accomplish all advantages of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be apparent, however, to one having ordinary skill in the art that the specific detail need not be employed to practice the present invention. In other instances, well-known materials or methods have not been described in detail in order to avoid obscuring the present invention.

In the above disclosure, reference has been made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration specific implementations in which the disclosure may be practiced. It is understood that other implementations may be utilized and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. References in the specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “an example embodiment,” etc., indicate that the embodiment described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment may not necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, such feature, structure, or characteristic may be used in connection with other embodiments whether or not explicitly described. The particular features, structures or characteristics may be combined in any suitable combination and/or sub-combinations in one or more embodiments or examples. It is appreciated that the figures provided herewith are for explanation purposes to persons ordinarily skilled in the art.

As used herein, “adjacent” refers to near or close sufficient to achieve a desired effect. Although direct contact is common, adjacent can broadly allow for spaced apart features.

As used herein, the singular forms “a,” and, “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

As used herein, the term “substantially” refers to the complete or nearly complete extent or degree of an action, characteristic, property, state, structure, item, or result. For example, an object that is “substantially” enclosed would mean that the object is either completely enclosed or nearly completely enclosed. The exact allowable degree of deviation from absolute completeness may in some cases depend on the specific context. However, generally speaking the nearness of completion will be so as to have the same overall result as if absolute and total completion were obtained. The use of “substantially” is equally applicable when used in a negative connotation to refer to the complete or near complete lack of an action, characteristic, property, state, structure, item, or result. For example, a composition that is “substantially free of” particles would either completely lack particles, or so nearly completely lack particles that the effect would be the same as if it completely lacked particles. In other words, a composition that is “substantially free of” an ingredient or element may still actually contain such item as long as there is no measurable effect thereof.

As used herein, the term “about” is used to provide flexibility to a number or numerical range endpoint by providing that a given value may be “a little above” or “a little below” the number or endpoint.

As used herein, a plurality of items, structural elements, compositional elements, and/or materials may be presented in a common list for convenience. However, these lists should be construed as though each member of the list is individually identified as a separate and unique member. Thus, no individual member of such list should be construed as a de facto equivalent of any other member of the same list solely based on their presentation in a common group without indications to the contrary.

Dimensions, amounts, and other numerical data may be expressed or presented herein in a range format. It is to be understood that such a range format is used merely for convenience and brevity and thus should be interpreted flexibly to include not only the numerical values explicitly recited as the limits of the range, but also to include all the individual numerical values or sub-ranges encompassed within that range as if each numerical value and sub-range is explicitly recited. As an illustration, a numerical range of “about 1 to about 5” should be interpreted to include not only the explicitly recited values of about 1 to about 5, but also include individual values and sub-ranges within the indicated range. Thus, included in this numerical range are individual values such as 2, 3, and 4 and sub-ranges such as from 1-3, from 2-4, and from 3-5, etc., as well as 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, individually.

The disclosure particularly describes a decorative curtain rod and curtain rod system. Particularly, the present disclosure describes how a modular curtain rod system may be provided to allow a person to easily customize curtain rods to match the decor in a building. The curtain rod may be wrapped in user selected covering material such as a decorating fabric to create a desired appearance. The covering material can be replaced later if the user desires to change the appearance of the curtain rod.

Turning now to FIG. 1, a curtain/curtain rod system includes a curtain rod 10. The curtain rod is attached to a building by decorative mounting brackets 14 and may include decorative finials 18 on the ends of the curtain rod 10. A number of curtain rings 22 are used to hang curtains 26 from the curtain rod 10. It will be appreciated that the mounting brackets 14, finials 18, and rings 22 may have different cosmetic shapes as desired. As used herein, curtain rings refers generally to carrier objects which are used to hang a curtain from the curtain rod and which contact the top of the curtain rod to support the curtain. The curtain rings may be of various styles and designs and need not be round or a closed shape and may also be referred to as curtain hangers. The rings 22 slide across the curtain rod 10 to allow the curtains to be opened and closed to selectively cover a window. The curtain rod 10 allows a person to more easily modify the appearance of the curtain rod 10 to match the decor of the building.

Referring now to FIG. 2, a detailed cross-sectional view of the curtain rod and rings is shown. The curtain rod 10 is formed with a slot 30 along it length. The slot 30 is positioned along the top of the curtain rod 10. The example curtain rod is a round hollow rod and may be formed from aluminum or rigid plastic. The example curtain rod may be about 1.5 inches in diameter and about 0.05 inches thick aluminum, or about 1.5 inches in diameter and about 0.2 inches thick for plastic. Generally, the curtain rod 10 may be between about 0.5 inches and about 4 inches in diameter. As the curtain rod length and the height of the curtains and building ceiling increase, the curtain rod diameter generally increases for strength and aesthetic purposes. With changes in curtain rod diameter or wall thickness, the slot 30 may change dimension slightly. The curtain rod 10 may be hollow or solid depending on the particular application and the material used to make the curtain rod. The example slot 30 is often about ⅛ inch wide, and may often be between about 0.1 and about 0.25 inches wide. The slot 30 extends along the length of the curtain rod 10; allowing access into the interior of the curtain rod 10.

A length of covering material 34 is wrapped around the curtain rod 10 along its length. The covering material 34 is typically cut so that its width is approximately 1 or 2 inches more than the outer circumference of the curtain rod 10 (e.g. the perimeter length of the curtain rod cross-section) and so that its length is equal to the length of the curtain rod 10 or slightly greater. The covering material 34 may be a woven textile fabric, leather, vinyl, etc. which is selected for a desired decorating appearance. The covering material 34 may be a textile fabric which matches or compliments the curtains, wall coverings, or other furnishings in the building. In assembling the curtain rod 10, the prepared strip of covering material 34 is placed lengthwise along the curtain rod 10 and is wrapped around the curtain rod 10. The long edges of the covering material 34 are placed into the slot 30 along the length of the curtain rod 10. The covering material 34 is positioned as shown in FIG. 2 and the strip of covering material 34 covers the exterior of the curtain rod 10.

After the strip of covering material 34 is placed into position along the curtain rod 10, a long support clip 38 is pressed into the slot 30 to hold the covering material 34 in place around the exterior surface of the curtain rod 10. The covering material 34 may be thus attached to the curtain rod 10 without adhesive. This prevents damage to the covering material 34 and allows for ease of assembly and ease of replacement of the covering material 34. The support clip 38 is the same length as the curtain rod 10 and extends between the two opposite ends of the curtain rod 10. The support clip 38 is typically made of extruded plastic or elastomer such as a thermoplastic copolyester or a polyolefin like polyethylene or polypropylene. The support clip 38 is sufficiently flexible to bend during assembly and allow its barbs/ridges to enter into the slot 30 along the curtain rod 10.

The support clip 38 has the illustrated cross-section along its length. The support clip 38 may be manufactured by continuous extrusion and may then be cut to desired length for installation in a curtain rod 10. The support clip 38 includes barbs 42 along its length. The example support clip includes two barbs 42 along both sides of a central shank. The barbs 42 grip the covering material 34 and keep both the covering material 34 and the support clip 38 secured in place along the curtain rod 10. A central slot/void 46 may be formed along the middle of the support clip shank. The void extends along the length of the support clip in the length shown. The void 46 allows the support clip 38 to more easily compress during installation to allow the barbs 42 to pass through the slot 30 with the covering material 34.

As the support clip shank is pressed into the slot 30, the covering material 34 is pulled tight around the curtain rod 10 by the support clip barbs 42. The upper barbs 42 are positioned along the support clip shank so that they hold the covering material 34 and the wall of the curtain rod 10 between the upper barbs 42 and the support clip head; keeping the covering material 34 neatly installed during use of the curtain rod. The curtain rod 10, covering material 34, and support clip 38 form a curtain rod assembly indicated at 50.

The head of the support clip 38 is made with a curved, convex exterior profile and a slightly concave lower profile. This places the edges of the head of the support clip 38 against the covering material 34 and provides a neat appearance at the top of the curtain rod 10. Support clips 38 may be made in different colors such as clear, black, or white to coordinate with different covering materials. The head of the support clip 38 contacts the curtain rings 22 and supports the curtain rings 22 above the curtain rod 10 as shown. In this manner, the curtain rings 22 do not slide on the covering material 34. The curtain rings 22 move laterally along the curtain rod 10 to open or close the curtains 26 by sliding on the top of the support clip 38. This accomplishes several benefits. First, the curtain rings 22 are supported apart from the covering material 34 so that the curtain rings do not wear and degrade the covering material 34 during use. Applicant has found that curtain rings 22 would adversely wear and degrade a covering material such as fabric quickly during use if they slide across the covering material 34. Additionally, the support clip 38 provides a low friction bearing surface for the curtain rings 22 to slide on. This means that the curtain rings 22 may slide easily and allow a person to easily open and close the curtains 26 regardless of the texture or surface characteristics of the chosen covering material 34. The support clip 38 thus provides both longevity and ease of operation where a curtain rod 10 is covered with a covering material 34. The curtain rings 22 support the curtains 26 and may engage eyelets 28 which are placed into the curtains during manufacture.

Referring now to FIG. 3, a perspective view of a short section of the curtain rod 10 is shown. This drawing shows the components of the curtain rod 10 before assembly and more particularly illustrates the curtain rod 10, the covering material 34, and the support clip 38. Although only a short section of each of these is shown, it is appreciated that all of the curtain rod 10, the covering material 34, and the support clip 38 are longer and are of a desired length to space a window or wall section as required. Typically, the curtain rod 10, the covering material 34, and the support clip 38 are all the same length or nearly the same length. The curtain rod 10, the covering material 34, and the support clip 38 are a desired length to cover and decorate a window, or otherwise hang a curtain along a section of a building.

The covering material 34 is sufficiently wide to wrap around the curtain rod 10 with its long edges placed inside of the slot 30. The support clip 38 is of uniform cross-section along its length. The support clip shank and barbs pull the edges of the covering material 34 into the slot 30 as the support clip 38 is pressed into the curtain rod slot 30. This draws the covering material 34 snugly around the outside of the curtain rod 10. Once the clip 38 is installed, the covering material 34 surrounding the slot 30 is held in place between the clip head and the clip upper barbs and between the clip shank and the edges of the curtain rod 10 along the slot 30.

Referring now to FIG. 4, a detailed cross-sectional view of the curtain rod 10 and rings 22 is shown. FIG. 4 illustrates how the support clip 38 may be used with differently shaped curtain rods 10. This allows both covering materials 34 and curtain rod profiles to be selected according to decorating taste while still providing a long wearing and easily used curtain rod system. Square, rectangular, round, oval, elliptical, or more complex curtain rod profiles may be used. The covering material 34 can bend around the curtain rod 10 and allow many different shapes of curtain rod 10 to be used. The support clip 38 lifts the rings 22 off of the curtain rod 10 and prevents elevated wear of the covering material 34 at corners of the curtain rod 10.

Referring now to FIG. 5, a detailed cross-sectional view of the curtain rod 10 and rings 22 is shown. FIG. 5 illustrates how the support clip 38 may be used with solid curtain rods 10 as well as hollow curtain rods 10. Solid curtain rods may be made with relative ease by cutting a wood curtain rod 10 to provide a desired curtain rod profile and to include a slot 30. The slot 30 is formed into the curtain rod 10 so that its depth is longer than the length of the shank of the support clip 38. The slot 30 is formed so that its width is slightly less than the width of the support clip barbs 42, or slightly less than the combined width of the support clip barbs 42 and the thickness of two layers of covering material 34; ensuring that the support clip 38 adequately grips the covering material 34. The curtain rod assembly 50 is made as discussed above by wrapping a desired covering material 34 around the curtain rod 10, placing the long edges of the covering material into the slot 30, and placing the support clip 38 into the slot 30 to hold the covering material securely in place. The covering material 34 should be trimmed to width before installation to prevent large amounts of covering material from bunching up in the bottom of the slot 30. The curtain rings 22 ride on top of the support clip 38 and are supported above the curtain rod 10 and covering material 34. The support clip 38 keeps the curtain rings 22 from sliding primarily along the corners of the curtain rod profile and helps to prevent accelerated wear of the covering material 34.

Referring now to FIGS. 6A through 6E, cross-sectional views of example curtain rod support clips are shown. Each support clip 38 includes a head 54 which supports the curtain rings 22 above and away from the covering material 34. The head 54 also presses the covering material against the curtain rod 10 along the slot 30. The head 54 is typically rounded on its upper surface and has a circular or semi-circular upper profile. The head 54 also has a rounded or concave lower surface such that bottom sides of the head 54 extend downwardly and outwardly and the lateral edges of the head are positioned lower than the joint between the head and the shank 58. The support clips 38 have a shank 58 that extends downwardly from the head 54. The shank 58 carries the barbs 42. The slot 46 is formed through the center of the shank 58 and is typically long enough vertically to extend adjacent to the thicker parts of the barbs 42; allowing the barbs to more easily compress while entering the curtain rod slot 30. The slot 46 is often formed with a width which is about one third of the width of the shank 58 and is formed along the length of the shank 58 while extruding the support clip 38. FIG. 6E shows how the slot 46 may extend through the top of the shank 58 and separate the lower portion of the shank into two separate walls; each carrying barbs on its outer face. Each of the support clips 38 shown may include a slot 46 which is contained within the middle of the shank 58 or a slot 46 which extends through the lower end of the shank 58. In many cases, it is easier to manufacture the support clip 38 with a slot 46 which extends through the lower end of the shank 58 as shown in FIG. 6E.

The support clip 38 includes a neck 62 which comprises the upper part of the shank 58 between the upper barbs 42 and the head 54. The neck 62 may be formed with a height which is approximately equal to or slightly greater than the thickness of the curtain rod wall so that the covering material 34 wrapped around the curtain rod at the slot 30 is held securely between the head 54 and the upper barbs 42. The width of the neck 62 may be slightly less than the width of the slot 30 so that the covering material 34 is also held between the edges of the curtain rod 10 adjacent the slot 30 and the neck 62. It is appreciated that there is a compromise between fitting a variety of different sizes of curtain rods 10 and slots 30 and securely holding the covering material. A few different sizes of support clips 38 will work with a large variety of curtain rods 10 and covering materials 34. The lower end of the shank 58 is formed into a point 66 to ease placement of the support clip into the curtain rod slot 30. FIG. 6B shows a support clip 38 where the head 54 has a flat bottom to better fit curtain rods with a flat top adjacent the slot 30. FIG. 6C shows a support clip 38 where the barbs 42 are formed with a rounded shape which better engages certain profiles of curtain rods 10. FIG. 6D shows a support clip 38 with recessed barbs 42 to allow the support clip to compress more easily during assembly of the curtain rod assembly 50. FIG. 6E shows a support clip 38 where the central void 46 is formed as a slot which extends through the lower end of the shank 58 such that the two lower barbs each form an edge adjacent the slot 46. Each of these support clips 38 may be formed by extrusion of a thermoplastic to create a long length of the support clip 38. This long length support clip 38 may be cut into smaller lengths and installed into curtain rods 10.

The curtain rod 10 allows a large number of decorating options for curtain rods. Curtain rods may be covered with any desired covering material 34. The covering material may be chosen to match furniture or upholstering, curtains, carpet, or other textiles. Additionally, the covering material 34 may be replaced as desired to update the appearance of the curtain rod or to replace a damaged covering material. The support clip 38 allows for easy assembly of the curtain rod 10 without any specialized tools. The support clip 38 protects the covering material 34 from wear and provides easy movement of the curtain rings 22 across the curtain rod.

The above description of illustrated examples of the present invention, including what is described in the Abstract, are not intended to be exhaustive or to be limitation to the precise forms disclosed. While specific examples of the invention are described herein for illustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications are possible without departing from the broader scope of the present claims. Indeed, it is appreciated that specific example dimensions, materials, etc., are provided for explanation purposes and that other values may also be employed in other examples in accordance with the teachings of the present invention. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A curtain rod system comprising: an elongate curtain rod having a length; a slot formed along the length of the top of the curtain rod; a decorative covering material, wherein the decorative covering material extends along the length of the curtain rod , wherein the covering material is removably disposed around the curtain rod to cover the curtain rod, and wherein long edges of the covering material are disposed into the curtain rod slot; an elongate support clip having a length which is approximately equal to the length of the curtain rod, the support clip having a head, a shank, and barbs; wherein the support clip is placed into the slot so that the covering material is held between the curtain rod and the support clip and so that the head of the support clip is disposed adjacent the curtain rod with the covering material disposed between the head and the curtain rod; a plurality of curtain hangers disposed along the curtain rod; a curtain carried by the plurality of curtain hangers; wherein the plurality of curtain hangers are supported by the support clip so that the plurality of curtain hangers extend above the curtain rod and are separated from the covering material and such that the plurality of curtain hangers contact the support clip.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the curtain rod is hollow, and wherein the long edges of the covering material extend into an interior space within the curtain rod.
 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the covering material is held around an edge of the curtain rod adjacent the slot by the support clip such that the covering material is held between the head and a barb of the support clip.
 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the support clip has a cross-sectional shape which is substantially the same throughout the length of the support clip.
 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the support clip comprises a slot formed vertically through the shank of the support clip and wherein the slot extends along the length of the support clip.
 6. A curtain rod system comprising: an elongate curtain rod having a length; a slot formed along the length of the top of the curtain rod; a decorative covering material extending along the length of the curtain rod, wherein the covering material is wrapped around the curtain rod to cover the curtain rod and wherein the long edges of the covering material pass through the slot such that the long edges of the covering material are disposed in a center of the curtain rod; an elongate support clip having a length which is approximately equal to the length of the curtain rod, the support clip having a head and a shank extending downwardly from the head; wherein the support clip shank is placed into the slot such that the covering material is held between the curtain rod and the support clip and such that the head of the support clip is disposed adjacent the top of the curtain rod with the covering material disposed between the head and the curtain rod.
 7. The system of claim 6, wherein the curtain rod is configured to receive curtain hangers thereon and support a curtain such that the curtain hangers pass over the top of the curtain rod and contact the head of the support clip and such that the curtain is suspended beneath the curtain rod from the curtain hangers.
 8. The system of claim 6, wherein the support clip shank comprises a neck adjacent the support clip head, and wherein a width of the slot is less than a sum of the thickness of the neck and two thicknesses of the covering material such that force is applied to the covering material between the curtain rod at the slot edge and the neck.
 9. The system of claim 6, wherein the support clip includes barbs extending along sides of the shank.
 10. The system of claim 9, wherein the covering material is held between the support clip head and the top of the curtain rod and wherein the covering material is held between a barb and an interior surface of the curtain rod.
 11. The system of claim 6, wherein the curtain rod is hollow, and wherein the long edges of the covering material extend into an interior space within the curtain rod.
 12. The system of claim 6, wherein the support clip has a cross-sectional shape which is substantially the same throughout the length of the support clip.
 13. The system of claim 6, wherein the support clip comprises a slot formed vertically through the shank of the support clip and wherein the slot extends along the length of the support clip.
 14. The system of claim 6, further comprising: a plurality of curtain hangers disposed along the curtain rod; a curtain carried by the plurality of curtain hangers; wherein the plurality of curtain hangers are supported by the support clip so that the plurality of curtain hangers extend above the curtain rod and are separated from the covering material and contact the support clip.
 15. The system of claim 6, wherein the curtain rod slot comprises vertical side walls, and wherein the covering material is held between side walls of the slot and the shank of the support clip.
 16. The system of claim 15, further comprising barbs along the support clip shank, and wherein the covering material is held between the slot side walls and the barbs.
 17. A curtain rod system comprising: an elongate curtain rod having a length; a slot formed along the length of the top of the curtain rod; an elongate support clip having a length which is approximately equal to the length of the curtain rod, the support clip having a head and a shank extending downwardly from the head; wherein the curtain rod is configured to receive an elongate strip of a decorative covering material such that the covering material extends along the length of the curtain rod, such that the covering material is wrapped around the curtain rod to cover the curtain rod, and such that the long edges of the covering material pass through the slot and are disposed in a center of the curtain rod; and wherein the support clip shank is configured for placement into the slot such that the covering material is held between the curtain rod and the support clip and such that the head of the support clip is disposed adjacent the top of the curtain rod with the covering material disposed between the head and the curtain rod.
 18. The system of claim 17, wherein the support clip is configured to hold the covering material between the support clip head and the top of the curtain rod.
 19. The system of claim 17, wherein the support clip has a cross-sectional shape which is substantially the same throughout the length of the support clip.
 20. The system of claim 17, wherein the curtain rod is configured to receive: a plurality of curtain hangers disposed along the curtain rod; a curtain carried by the plurality of curtain hangers; wherein the plurality of curtain hangers are supported by the support clip so that the plurality of curtain hangers extend above the curtain rod and are separated from the covering material and contact the support clip. 